Science may have uncovered the secret to living a long life—and it all comes down to your attitude.

A new study published in International Psychogeriatrics reveals that folks who live to 100 tend to be stubborn, resilient, adaptable, and positive. The study also found that these 90 to 100-year-olds have a strong work ethic and close bonds to their family, religion, and country.

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The analysis studied the lives of 29 senior residents from Italy's Cilento region (an area known for being the home of a large senior population), according to Time. Researchers interviewed the individuals and their families to learn more about their lives. In addition to their headstrong ways, the experts found these seniors to be highly adaptable to change, which also helps them balance seemingly conflicting traits, like stubbornness and positivity.

"These people have been through Depressions, they've been through migrations, they've lost loved ones," author of the study and associate dean at the Center of Healthy Aging at the UC San Diego School of Medicine Dr. Dilip Jeste told Time. "In order to flourish, they have to be able to accept and recover from the things they can't change, but also fight for the things they can."

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While their had health declined in some ways, these centenarians were still sharp. They displayed greater self confidence and showed signs of greater decision-making skills than their younger family members. "Things like happiness and satisfaction with life went up, and levels of depression and stress went down," Dr. Jeste said. "It's the opposite of what we might expect when we think about aging, but it shows that getting older is not all gloom and doom."